Type drum selector using sliding plates



Jan 3, 1967 RENTARO sAsAKl TYPE DRUM SELECTOR USING SLIDING PLATES Filed March 23. 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR RENTHRO 5H SHK! BY /M//UQ/{Q/W WWW ,ATTORNEY5 Jan, 3, 1967 RENTARO sAsAKl 3,295,652

TYPE DRUM SELECTOR USING SLIDING PLATES IFiled March 23, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR RENTHRG SHSHK/ BY MMW- ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1967 RENTARO sAsAKl 3,295,652

TYPE DRUM SELECTOR USING SLIDING PLATES I Filed March 25, 1965 f5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR RENT/AR@ snm/ 1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,295,652 i TYPE DRUM SELECTOR USING SLIDING PLATES Rentaro Sasaki, Takasalri, Japan, assigner to Oki Electric Industry Company Limited, Tokyo, Japan o Filed Mar. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 442,061 Claims priority, application Japan, Mar. 25, 1964, 39/ 16,146; Dec. 26, 1964, 39/'73,504 3 Claims. (Cl. 197-53) This invention relates to drum-type printers.

In a conventional 'ball type or drum type printer, in printing characters, an entire type case is rocked and is pressed `against a platen and therefore, lin containing types, the pitch between the types will be so largeI that, in case the number of characters is large, the type drum will be large and it will =be di'iicult to increase the speed of the printer. There is another known system wherein, in printing characters, types are struck with a hammer to .print on the paper. However, in such system, it is diflicult to increase the number of copying sheets and not only is the paper apt to be stained with adjacent types but also the hammer will be Ibroken frequently.

Further, in the prior art, in the case of selecting the position of the type drum, the mechanism is so complicated that it is difficult to compactly assemble the printer itself.

The objective of the present invention is to eliminate the above mentioned defects. o

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provde a type drum wherein the structure is simple and the type mounting capacity is large.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a small height type drum adapted :to high speed printers.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a printer wherein types are struck from behind with a hammer inside a type ydrum so that characters may be clearly printed.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a selecting mechanism which is simple in structure and is adapted to high speed printers.

In theaccompanying drawings:

FGURE 1 is a partly sectional perspective view of a type drum of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the type drum shown in FIGURE l;

FGURE 3` is a vertical sectional view illustrating the related parts Iofthe type drum and a hammer;

FIGURE 4` is a perspective view illustrating the essential part of a selecting mechanism of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a side view illustrating the selecting mechanism for selector fingers;

FGURE` 6 is a perspective view of a selection plate.

In FIGURES l and 2, the entire type drum is represented at 1. The type drum 1 consists of a cylindrical outside drum case `2 anda cylindrical inside drum case 3 set coaxially with said outside drum case 2. The upper end of the outside drum case 2 is bent inwardly, as at 4, and is secured to a flange part 5, of the inside drum case 3, with screws 6.

Both drum cases 2 and 3 are provided with fixed numbers of square holes 7 and 8, respectively, in aligned registration with each other along radii spaced uniformly angularly of the drum circumferences, so that the square shafts 10 of types 9* inserted in the respective registering square holes may lbe radially arranged. A spring 68 embraces the square shaft 10 of each type 9 in a space 11 formed between drum cases 2 and 3 so as to provide a returning force for the type. It is needless to say that each of the drum cases 2 and 3 can he divided axially into several portions so as to make it easy to fit the types.

Patented Jan. 3, 1967 ice A vertical shaft 12 is .secured concentrically of the thus formed type drum and has a worm or rack for selection in the vertical direction and a worm wheel for yselection in the rotary direction, so that positions for the ve-rtical andA rotary directions may .be selected, whereby any desired type may tbe selected for engagement by the hammer.

FIGURE 3 is a view showing the relation between the type drum and the hammer according to the present invention. When the square shaft 10 of the type 9 arranged in the type ydrum illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 is struck at the end with a hammer 13, the type 9 will be projected outward. A vertical selection w-orm or rack 14 and a worm wheel 15 are secured to the shaft 12. Said vertical selection Worm 14 is displaced by a vertical selection shaft 16 through a gear 17 so that the `amount of the vertical movement of the shaft 12 may Ibe controlled. The vertical movement of the worm wheel 15 is restricted, and the shaft 12 can slide vertically, through a spline 18, with respect to the w-orm wheel 15 but is restricted in the rotating direction.

The amount of rotation of the worm wheel 15 is controlled through a wor-m 20 secured to a .rotary selection shaft 19. The details of such selectin-g mechanism will be explained later.

The type hammer 13 is .set within the 'type drum 1 so as to operate to strike the type 5 shafts 10 at their yra-dially inner ends. Said type hammer 13 is pivoted, in the center pa-rt, to a frame at 21 so as to be operated by a cam 23 in contact with a `roller 22 at the end of the hammer 13. Thus, when the tip of the hammer 13 strikes the type 5, a character will be printed on paper 25 on a platen 24- tlirough a ribbon 26. 27 is a ribbon yguide t-o guide the ribbon 26. The hammer 13 is provided with a spring 28 to return the hammer to the original position.

According to the present invention, in the case of printing va character on receiving a signal, if the signal'inclu-des a` component for selecting the amount of the vertical movement of the type drum and acomponent for selecting the amount of the rotary movement of the drum, when such signal is received, a specied amount of rotation will be given to the shaft 16 by the component for selecting the amount of the vertical movement s-o that `the type drum 1 may he moved vertically -by a specified amount through the worm wheel or ygear 17, worm or rack 14 and shaft 12 and, on the other hand, a specified amount of rotation will be given to the shaft 19' by the component for .selecting the amount of the rotary movement so that the type drum 1 may be rotated by a specified amount through the worm 2i), worm wheel 1S and shaft 12. Thus, by the selecting operations along hoth of these coordinates, any desired type can be brought to and stopped at the character printing position, and made to print the character. The cam 23 and worm wheels 17 and 20 4are restricted in the rotary `direction with respect to the cam shaft 29 and shafts 16 and 19, respectively, but are slidahle in the axial direction. `After the completion of printing the character, by moving the above mentioned entire mechanism axially -on the shafts 16, 19 and 29, the character printing operation can be continued.

Now the selecting mechanism in the type drum according to the present invention will be detailed. In the selecting mechanism ofthe present invention, while a selection plate having inclined surfaces is periodically moved, by the operation `of a selection magnet corresponding to any character or signal, one of a plurality of selection fingers is projected so that said finger may come into contact with an inclined surface of said selection plate and said plate is slid andrstopped so that said finger may Vhe engaged with a fixed part of said selection plate. Thus, in response to the stopping position of said selection plate, through the mechanism of the selection worm and pinion, `the rotation and vertical movement of the type drum will be selected so that the character of the type may be selected.

Further, the present invention has as its essential parts plates having inclined surfaces of a fixed shape and groups of the selector fingers projected selectively into paths of movement of said plates. Each plate will move with its inclined surface engaged with the selected and projected selector finger so that said selector finger may be positioned at the end of the inclined surface. By the displacement of said plate in the direction intersecting with the direction of fingers movement, the characters can be selected.

With reference to FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, 30 is a selection clutch. When a clutch magnet (not illustrated) is excited by a character printing instruction pulse, a cam lever 32 will be oscillated :around `a shaft 33 as a center and the oscillation will be transmitted to a stud 36 projecting from a sliding plate 35 through a slot 34 in lever 32, so that the sliding plate 3S is reciprocated up and down. 37 and 38 are, for example, eight selector fingers. By an operation mentioned below, the corresponding selector finger will stop in a position projecting from the other fingers. 39 and 40 are a rotary movement selection plate and a vertical movement selection plate, respectively, .and iare respectively fitted in slots 45 and 46 and slots 47 and 48 in the sliding plate 35 by studs 41 and 42 and studs 43 and 44. 49 and 50 are a rotary movement selection rack and a vertical movement selection rack, respectively. As illustrated in FIGURE 6, the selection plate 39 (or 40) is mounted in the recessed part 51 (or 51') of the selection rack 50 (or 49) so as to be slidable vertically.

52 and 53 are selection pinions to drive selection shafts 54 yand 55, respectively, which will respectively rotate the shafts 19 rand 16, shown in FIGURE 3, directly or through a proper transmitting mechanism so that the shaft 12 of the type drum may be adjusted angularly and axially to selected positions, and a fixed character in the type drum may be selected to come to a position opposite the hammer.

FIGURE 5 is a view illustrating the selecting mechanism for the selector fingers. There are provided as many selector magnets 56a or 56b as there are ngers to be selected. In this embodiment, for example, there are provided eight selector magnets. When any one of them s selected and excited, an armature 57a or 57b will be attracted and a selector arm 59a or 59b will be disengaged by a connector 58a or 5811 and Will be rocked around a shaft 61a or 61b fas la center by the force of a spring 60a or 60b, the selector finger 37 or 38 will be advanced in the direction indicated by the arrow and the tip of said finger will project forward through a hole 63 or 64 in a plate 62 and will be brought to a position wherein it can engage with the selection plate 39l or 40.

In order to prevent simultaneous projection of two or more Selector fingers by mistake, a plurality of longitudinally aligned balls 65a and 65b are provided in channel members mounted on the rear surface of panel 62. The total displacement of the balls 65a `and 65b in their respective channels is equal only to the width of the upper outwardly projecting end of one selector finger 37, 38, so that only one selector finger at a time may project between a pair of adjacent balls 65a, 65b.

The operation of the selecting mechanism will now be explained. If the selector magnets for determining the corresponding angular and Iaxial positions of a character to be selected are predetermined, when a push button (not illustrated) is pushed by an operator, one magnet in each of the respective groups of selector magnets 56a and 56b will be excited, the armatures 57a and 57b will tbe attracted, the connectors 58a and 58]; and the selector arms 59a and 59b will be disengaged and the selector fingers 37 and 38 will be projected and will be brought to positions wherein they can be engaged with the angular position selection plate 39 and Vertical or axial position selection plate 40.

On the other hand, as described later, the angular position selection plate 39 and the vertical or axial position selection plate 40 move p-eriodically. At each intermittent excitation of the clutch magnet (not illustrated), the selection clutch will be operated, the selection cam 31 will be driven and the cam lever 32 will oscillate around the shaft 33 as a center in a direction in which the slot 34 made at the `other end of the lever 32 will move downward. With the descent of the slot 34, there will descend the sliding plate 36 which follows the vertical movement yof said slot but moves freely in the horizontal direction relative to the slot due to the play part of rotary slot 34. The rotary selection plates 35 and 40 are engaged with said sliding plate 35 through the studs 41 and 42 yand 43 and 44, respectively. Therefore, with the descent of the selection plate 35, said two selection plates 39 and 40 will both descend. But, as described above, if one magnet in each of the respective groups of the selector magnets 56a and 56b is selected, the selector fingers 37 and 38 in the positions corresponding to the selected magnets will be projected from the front surface of the plate 62 and either one of the triangular inclined surf-ace parts 66 and 66 in each of the selection plates 39 and 40Y will come into contact with said selector fingers 37 and 38, respectively. With the further downward movement, the selection plate 39 and the selection plate 40 will move horizontally by the horizontal distances between the projected selector fingers 37 and 38 and the apices 67 of said triangular inclined surface parts 66 and 66', respectively. When the selector fingers 37 and 38 thus enter the respective `apices 67 of said triangular inclined parts, the descent will stop. Therefore, the horizontal movements of the rotary selection plate 39 and vertical selection plate 40 will produce horizontal movements of the racks 49 and 50 `and will determine the amounts of rotation of the pinions 52 and 53 meshed respectively with said racks.

Thus, the position of the rotary selection plate 39 will be determined. Through the rack 49, pinion 52 and shaft 54 integral with the plate 39 and, as required, through any proper intermediate transmitting mechanism, the shaft 12 of the type drum 1 will be rotated from the shaft 19 shown in FIGURE 3 so that the type drum 1 may be adjusted in the angular direction.

The adjustment of the type drum in the vertical direction is made in the same manner. Through the vertical selection plate 40, rack 50, pinion 53 and shaft 55, the shaft 12 of the type drum 1 will be moved axially or vertically by the shaft 16 so that the type drum 1 may be vertically or axially adjusted.

Thus, by selecting the positions in the angular direction and axial direction, any desired character in the type drum can be brought to the position opposite the type hammer 13 and platen 24 and can be printed.

What is claimed is:

1. In printing -apparatus including a type drum carrying type members mounted for displacement radially of the drum -and arranged in angularly yand axially spaced relation each at the intersection lof a respective angular coordinate with fa respective axial coordinate, a hammer operable to radially project Aa type member then aligned therewith to print on a printing medium, adjusting means for displacing the drum angularly, 'adjusting means for displacing the drum axially, and selector means operable through the adjusting means to displace the drum angularly and axially to align a selected type member with the hammer: the improvement in which said selector means comprises a support panel; a pair of relatively elongated operators mounted on one surface of said panel for length- Wise displacement in one longitudinal direction in substantially parallel relation, each operator being in driving connection with a respective adjusting means; a pair of selector plates each mounted on a respective operator for displacement in a transverse direction substantially normal to said one longitudinal direction, and constrained against displacement in said longitudinal direction relative to its associated operator; each selector plate having an outwardly opening, substantially isoceles triangular notch in its edge facing in said transverse direction, and the two notches facing in the same direction with each notch having an apex; a plurality of selector iingers arranged in two transversely spaced parallel rows extending in said longitudinal direction, each row extending across the path of movement -of the notch in `a respective selector plate; each selector finger being mounted through a respective aperture in said panel; respective means constantly mechanically biasing each selector finger to project from said one surface of said panel into the path of movement of the associated selector plate; respective latch means rnechanically latching each select-or linger against such projection; printing pulse responsive electromagnetic release means operable, when energized, to release the associated latch means from one selector linger in each row, in accordance With the drum coordinates of the character to be printed, for projection of the released lingers by the respective mechanical biasing means; and printing pulse responsive driving means operable, when energized, to reciprocate said selector plates initially in la direction to engage a sloping side of the associated notch With a projected selector finger to move the respective selector plate and its operator in said longitudinal direction an amount equal to the spacing of the respective projected selector linger, longitudinally of its row, from the apex of the respective notch.

Z. In printing apparatus, the improvement claimed in claim 1, including means engageable by said selector iingers and providing for projection of only one selector tin- 6 ger in each row responsive to any single printing pulse. 3. ln printing apparatus, the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which said printing pulse responsive electromagnetic release means comprises a respective electromagnetic release means operatively associated with each latch means.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 434,880 8/1890 Odell 197-48 X 437,119 9/1890 Kennedy 197--55 573,654 12/1896 Harnsberger et al 197--55 579,047 3/1897 Dudley 197-53 581,717 5/1897 Hall 197--53 942,825 12/ 1909 Hauerstein 197--53 X 987,103 3/1911 Bamberger 197-55 2,080,966 5/1937 Griith 197-50 X 2,093,545 9/1937 Bryce et al 197-53 X 2,193,970 3/1940 Krum et al 197-53 2,838,156 6/1958 Griffith 197-53 2,874,634 2/1959 Hense 1011-93 2,876,280 3/1959 Griffith 197-53 X 2,892,031 6/1959 Arko et al 197-49 X 2,912,091 11/ 1959 Gemmel 197-49 3,215,246 11/1965 Zanaboni 197-48 X ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

DAVID KLEIN, Examiner.

E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN PRINTING APPARATUS INCLUDING A TYPE DRUM CARRYING TYPE MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR DISPLACEMENT RADIALLY OF THE DRUM AND ARRANGED IN ANGULARLY AND AXIALLY SPACED RELATION EACH AT THE INTERSECTION OF A RESPECTIVE ANGULAR COORDINATE WITH A RESPECTIVE AXIAL COORDINATE, A HAMMER OPERABLE TO RADIALLY PROJECT A TYPE MEMBER THEN ALIGNED THEREWITH TO PRINT ON A PRINTING MEDIUM, ADJUSTING MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE DRUM ANGULARLY, ADJUSTING MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE DRUM AXIALLY, AND SELECTOR MEANS OPERABLE THROUGH THE ADJUSTING MEANS TO DISPLACE THE DRUM ANGULARLY AND AXIALLY TO ALIGN A SELECTED TYPE MEMBER WITH THE HAMMER: THE IMPROVEMENT IN WHICH SAID SELECTOR MEANS COMPRISES A SUPPORT PANEL; A PAIR OF RELATIVELY ELONGATED OPERATORS MOUNTED ON ONE SURFACE OF SAID PANEL FOR LENGTHWISE DISPLACEMENT IN ONE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION, EACH OPERATOR BEING IN DRIVING CONNECTION WITH A RESPECTIVE ADJUSTING MEANS; A PAIR OF SELECTOR PLATES EACH MOUNTED ON A RESPECTIVE OPERATOR FOR DISPLACEMENT IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID ONE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, AND CONSTRAINED AGAINST DISPLACEMENT IN SAID LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION RELATIVE TO ITS ASSOCIATED OPERATOR; EACH SELECTOR PLATE HAVING AN OUTWARDLY OPENING, SUBSTANTIALLY ISOCELES TRIANGULAR NOTCH IN ITS EDGE FACING IN SAID TRANSVERSE DIRECTION, AND THE TWO NOTCHES FACING IN THE SAME DIRECTION WITH EACH NOTCH HAVING AN APEX; A PLURALITY OF SELECTOR FINGERS ARRANGED IN TWO TRANSVERSELY SPACED PARALLEL ROWS EXTENDING IN SAID LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, EACH ROW EXTENDING ACROSS THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE NOTCH IN A RESPECTIVE SELECTOR PLATE; EACH SELECTOR FINGER BEING MOUNTED THROUGH A RESPECTIVE APERTURE IN SAID PANEL; RESPECTIVE MEANS CONSTANTLY MECHANICALLY BIASING EACH SELECTOR FINGER TO PROJECT FROM SAID ONE SURFACE OF SAID PANEL INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATED SELECTOR PLATE; RESPECTIVE LATCH MEANS MECHANICALLY LATCHING EACH SELECTOR FINGER AGAINST SUCH PROJECTION; PRINTING PULSE RESPONSIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC RELEASE MEANS OPERABLE, WHEN ENERGIZED, TO RELEASE THE ASSOCIATED LATCH MEANS FROM ONE SELECTOR FINGER IN EACH ROW, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DRUM COORDINATES OF THE CHARACTER TO BE PRINTED, FOR PROJECTION OF THE RELEASED FINGERS BY THE RESPECTIVE MECHANICAL BIASING MEANS; AND PRINTING PULSE RESPONSIVE DRIVING MEANS OPERABLE, WHEN ENERGIZED, TO RECIPROCATE SAID SELECTOR PLATES INITIALLY IN A DIRECTION TO ENGAGE A SLOPING SIDE OF THE ASSOCIATED NOTCH WITH A PROJECTED SELECTOR FINGER TO MOVE THE RESPECTIVE SELECTOR PLATE AND ITS OPERATOR IN SAID LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE SPACING OF THE RESPECTIVE PROJECTED SELECTOR FINGER, LONGITUDINALLY OF ITS ROW, FROM THE APEX OF THE RESPECTIVE NOTCH. 